Research Services

The Archives staff will answer questions that fall within a very narrow range.

Researchers For Hire – Due to budget limitations and our small staff size, we suggest that those who cannot visit the Archives hire a researcher. The Georgia Archives does not endorse researchers, but these links are provided for your convenience:

A specific fact about Georgia or Georgia history - for example: “Who was the Governor of Georgia in 1857?”

You can receive answers to brief, factual questions by using Ask an Archivist. These services are especially appropriate if you are looking for the date of a specific event, information about a specific location, information about our holdings (such as whether we have a specific book, or specific types of records for a certain time period) or information about our reference services.

Georgia Archives holdings - for example: “Do you have Henry County, Georgia wills for 1920?

You can check our Online Catalog for information about books, periodicals, and selected microfilm and you can also use our Finding Aids@Georgia Archives for information about original records. If you are unable to find the answer to your question from these resources, you may contact us through our Ask an Archivist form.

What we cannot answer through Ask an Archivist:

Records that document ancestors who lived in Georgia - for example: “Do you have a land lottery grant for Robert Smith?

Comprehensive information about a particular ancestor - for example: “What do you have on Mary Smith?”

A detailed question about Georgia history - for example: “Please give me a brief history of Georgia’s colonial government.”

State and Local Government Records - for example: “What is the retention schedule for accounting records?”

The Georgia Archives is not authorized or staffed to provide genealogical research or to verify family relationships; our primary function is to provide access to the records for your research. We encourage you to visit the Georgia Archives so that we may assist you.